Let The Right One In
by Queenhaq
Summary: Eric/Sookie - Sookie makes a deal with the devil.
1. Chapter 1

Even though her back was turned to the entrance, Sookie realized almost instantly that a vampire had just entered Merlotte's. No, not just any old vampire.

Eric.

Who she hadn't seen since the night Bill disappeared. She'd accused him of hurting Bill and Eric had simply laughed at her, as if she was a child crying over a lost toy, and ordered her back to Bon Temps.

Although the bout of silence amongst the regular patrons was a welcome relief, Sookie was inadvertently flooded with all their questions and emotions. Some were worried, others afraid. The "who the hell is this motherfucker", "must be a fucking vampire", "I'd like to climb him", "I wouldn't mind being a fangbanger if I could bang that" thoughts were something she could handle. The sudden rush of sexual arousal - not to mention the very vivid fantasies - some of the women were experiencing, however, were a bit more... difficult to deal with.

Behind the bar, Tara was staring at her with a concerned expression. And then there was Lafayette in the kitchen. His eyes were glued to someone else, presumably Eric, fear evident on his face.

Taking a deep breath and shutting out everyone's thoughts, Sookie turned around. Eric was standing tall a few feet away, ambivalent to how completely out of place he was, and appearing bored at being the center of attention. Until he met her gaze.

Suddenly, Sookie found herself breathless.

Languid, but deliberate, steps brought him closer and Sookie forced herself to remain calm. Even though he could sense her every emotion, she'd be damned if she gave him the satisfaction of seeing her sweat publicly.

"Sookie," he said in his soft, velvety, deceptively relaxing 'I can kill you in a second if I'm in the mood' tone of voice.

"What are you doing here?"

"Is this how you greet all of your customers?"

"Just the ones I hate."

An amused smile curved across his face and his eyes momentarily drifted to someone standing behind her.

"Don't look at Lafayette. Look at me," she ordered firmly.

His eyebrow quirked up and he centered his attention on her once again.

"What do you want, Eric?"

"I have information you may find useful."

Her heart jumped up in her chest. "About Bill?"

"Possibly."

She waited for him to explain further, but he didn't. Instead he kept watching her with a certain level of detachment, remaining silent throughout. "What is it?"

"Are you going to offer me something to drink?"

Irritation surged through her. "You didn't come here for that. Tell me what you know."

"Your hospitality is heart-warming," he replied in a deadpan tone.

"You don't have a heart."

"It's an unnecessary organ."

"Are you here to give me vampire biology lessons?"

"If needed."

"Don't waste my time. It's busy in here."

"_This _is busy?" he mocked, surveying the room around them. "This is Fangtasia at noon."

"Get to the point or I'm going to throw you out."

"And how would you do that?"

"I'll get Sam."

"The shape-shifter isn't here."

She didn't think he knew that.

"Lafayette, perhaps?" Eric continued. "I believe he's hiding in the back."

Sookie wished there was some way she could make good on her threats; she'd love to wipe that arrogant expression off his face. Unfortunately, as they both know, she didn't have the ability to do that.

"We only have True Blood and you hate that stuff."

"I find the taste offensive."

"Yeah, well, I don't have any human blood to serve you."

"You could offer yourself."

"And hell could freeze over."

"I assumed you would be more eager to help Bill."

"Oh, so you're blackmailing me now? If I don't let you drink from me, you won't tell me what you know?

"Humans can be so melodramatic," he sighed.

Sookie grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket. She could try and pretend to be proud but they both knew it would be an act; she was at the end of her rope and he was fully aware of it. "Please."

"Desperation becomes you."

She released her grip on him. "Fuck you!"

His smile was infuriating. "I doubt Bill would approve."

"You don't know where he is."

"And I don't really care."

"You're just here to mess with me."

"You overestimate your own importance."

"Get out."

The shift in his smile from one of amusement to irritation was subtle; she doubted she would even notice if he wasn't standing so close to her. She took a step back to put some distance between them but he leaned forward and closed the gap.

"When you're ready to listen," he whispered in her ear, his voice a thinly veiled threat. "And negotiate, you know where to find me."

As suddenly as he had come in, he left, with everyone after staring after him.

"Sookie, are you okay?" Tara asked, rushing towards her.

"I'm fine."

"What did he want?"

Wishing she knew the answer to that question, Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "I'll find out soon enough."

For the rest of the night, despite her attempts to focus on the job, her brain was preoccupied with thoughts of Eric and the information he had teased her with.

Fangtasia, Sookie mused, seemed more crowded than usual as she scanned the club around her. She spotted a few people from Bon Temps but they quickly avoided her gaze. Pam was near the entrance door though she wasn't there when Sookie had come in. Their eyes met momentarily and Pam gave her a seductive smile in return.

If Sookie hadn't felt anxious before coming to Fangtasia by herself, she certainly did now. Pam had a way of looking at her that left Sookie feeling completely exposed.

Not unlike Eric.

His throne, perched on the stage, was empty. Sookie searched for him in the crowd but he was nowhere to be found.

"He's in his office," Pam answered from behind, as if reading Sookie's mind.

Sookie turned to face her and, as always, Pam spent the next few seconds ogling her. Pam's eyes travelled down Sookie's body languidly, pausing on her cleavage for a bit.

Subtle, Pam was not.

"I'd like to see him," Sookie said.

Pam raised her perfectly-shaped eyebrow. "Too bad for me."

Without another word, Pam walked away. Sookie took that to mean she was on her own to find Eric. Fighting through the crowd, she strode towards the bar; liquid courage was desperately needed before she went to him.

Several minutes and two straight shots of tequila later, she found herself standing in front of his closed office. She debated knocking on the door but decided against it; he had a habit of barging into her space so why shouldn't she. Even as she turned the knob, she regretted her decision. The last thing she wanted was to interrupt him mid-fuck. Luckily for her he was sitting in his chair, legs propped up on the desk in front of him and his hands linked together behind his head. He was dressed in a black suit, his hair glistening in the light, his eyes focused on her. As if he was anticipating her visit.

"Disappointed?" he drawled.

"What?"

"You've been standing outside my door for five minutes. Were you hoping to catch me naked?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

"Or perhaps you wanted to interrupt me mid-coitus?

"Maybe I just wanted to teach you a lesson."

"On how to surprise a vampire? I would suggest another approach."

"Go to hell."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"You know why I'm here."

"You'll have to refresh my memory," he taunted her deliberately.

"You said you know where Bill is."

"I did not."

"Don't play games with me, Eric."

"Unlike Bill, I have no intention of following your orders. The sooner you accept that, the better it'll be for you."

Sookie resisted the urge to snap at him. As much as she hated it, she needed Eric right now and she had to play nice with him. "I'm sorry."

He cocked his eyebrow. "That was quick."

"I'm a fast learner."

Eric replied with a smile, but didn't say anything.

Silence ensued between them. She kept waiting for him to speak, he kept studying her with a cold glint in his eyes. Finally, she had enough. "Where is Bill?"

"I've heard through the grapevine he's with Lorena."

"That _bitch_!"

"I'm sure she shares your sentiment."

"You have to help me get him back."

"Do I?"

"You're his Sheriff and he needs your help!"

"As far as I'm aware, he's there of his own accord."

She shook her head vehemently. "No, he hates her."

"She's his maker. A bond like that can't be broken by petty human emotions."

The far-away look in his eyes made her wonder if he was thinking of Godric. Maybe if she appealed to Eric's softer side, he would help her. "You loved Godric. And I love Bill. You know what it's like to lose someone-"

"Do not compare your infatuation with Bill to what I shared with Godric," Eric interjected with a steely gaze and a voice as cold as ice. "Ever."

Sookie wanted to scream, to cry, and to break everything in sight until the pain that had settled in her chest would completely dissolve. She felt helpless. Like the day she had found Gram on the floor, bloody and dead. Gram. Jason. Lafayette. Tara. Sam. And now, Bill. Bad things kept happening to the people she loved and she failed to protect them each time.

She looked at Eric. "You won't help me find Bill?"

"I have no reason to."

"And there's nothing I can say to change your mind?"

The change in his expression was subtle. There was a predatory glint in his eyes now, and it left little doubt in her mind as to what he wanted. She willed herself to remain calm. She would do whatever it took to help Bill. She would inot/i be helpless again.

With trepidation in every step, she approached Eric. He followed her with his gaze, taking in her every move, observing her hungrily as she stood in front of him. She wished he would say something, _anything_, but he remained silent and still.

"What do you want from me, Eric?"

There was no response. Clearly, he wasn't going to make this easy on her.

"Do you want my blood? Do you want to feed from me?"

"I'm not hungry."

She wasn't expecting this.

She knew what she had to do next, and the butterflies in her stomach refused to settle down.

Sookie refused to believe it was excitement that surged through her; these were feelings of disgust and guilt. That's it. Nothing else. She didn't want him. She never did. The fantasies she had of Eric were side-effects of his blood; they had nothing to do with her.

She reached down to touch his face.

She expected to be overcome with shameful emotions; she assumed his skin would be cold beneath her fingers. She was wrong on both counts.

His skin was hot to the touch, as heated as the desire in his blue eyes. She traced the curve of his lips gently, and he quivered. There was emotion on his face, something she thought he was only capable of feeling for Godric and definitely not for a human being. Not for _her_.

She could no longer stop herself. Her fingers laced through his hair and her mouth closed over his.

Eric wasn't soft, sweet, or gentle. He was nothing like her fantasies. His mouth was rough, his tongue demanding. He wanted to possess her, to consume her, until she had nothing left to give. And she didn't want to stop him.

His fangs protruded from his mouth, and she felt a sharp jolt of pain as they broke through her skin.

Her lips were bleeding, her body aching for more.

She needed him.

And Eric pulled away.

Breathless and panting for air, she remained in front of him. She was trembling, simultaneously hot and cold; every nerve in her body screamed for more, and if she didn't get what she want, she would explode.

Eric stood up, and she instinctively took a step back. His height was overwhelming, almost threatening when they were this close to each other, but her fears vanished when his fingers wrapped around her waist and pulled her hard against him. She felt his erection against her stomach, and with a sudden urge to touch _him_, she reached down to unzip his pants.

But he had other plans.

With their gazes fixated on each other and their bodies locked, he leaned forward, and licked the blood off her lips. Slowly. Excruciatingly.

This was not a kiss. This was more intimate than that; this was _betrayal_.

"What exactly are you offering, Sookie?" he asked, his voice cold and distant again.

Reality crashed through her senses and she remembered why she was doing this. She forced herself to take a step back. "Help me find Bill," she whispered, "and I'll do anything you want."

"Anything?"

"For one night. But this stays between us. You can't tell Bill."

Eric smiled, and her heart sank.

Sookie had just made a deal with the devil and she was bound to lose.


	2. Chapter 2

Sookie sunk into the bathtub, the warm water enveloping her body, soothing her tired self and aching feet. Arlene had called in sick again; as a result, Sookie had to work overtime. Normally this would not be a problem as she needed the money and any excuse not to spend time alone, but after two double shifts this week she was exhausted.

She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax. The image of a devastated Bill, her last memory of him when she'd turned down his proposal, flashed across her mind. Feelings of guilt washed over her again, something she'd become accustomed to these days.

A short while later, still idling in the bubble bath, Sookie realized someone was knocking on the door. At two in the morning.

Stepping out of the tub, she grabbed the nearest bathrobe. Wrapping it around her, she quickly made her way downstairs. All kinds of horrible scenarios popped into her head as to why someone would be at her door this late at night. Was the Sheriff here to give her bad news about Jason? Was Tara okay?

Reaching the door, Sookie swung it open. And found Eric waiting for her on the other side.

_Fuck_.

He was dressed in a black wife-beater, leather jacket, and jeans. And he had a shorter hair-cut since she last saw him.

Her stomach clenched just thinking about their last encounter.

Over the past few weeks, she'd almost convinced herself it didn't happen; she hadn't gone to Fangtasia and bartered herself for Eric's help; she hadn't ikissed/i him. But as much as she tried, she couldn't forget. Not when her mind was consumed with thoughts of him, and her dreams were even more vivid and haunting now that she knew what it actually felt like to touch him and practically devour him. And the realization that he probably knew all about her predicament only made things worse.

His eyes were sparkling in the dark, bluer than she'd ever seen them, as they slowly slid down her body. When she crossed her arms to cover herself, it only served to focus his interest on her breasts more. That feeling, the one that surfaced whenever Eric was around, that left her flustered and anxious, grew in the pit of her stomach. Sookie hated how nervous she felt around him, but she would kill herself before she ever admitted it out loud. "What are you doing here, Eric?"

In no hurry to speak, he leaned against the doorway and simply continued to study her. His attention shifted back and forth between her face and breasts. Finally, a lazy smile appeared. "You're soaking wet."

"I was taking a bath."

"And you rushed out to greet me? How sweet."

"Don't flatter yourself. If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have bothered getting out of the tub."

"Why don't you invite me in?"

"Why would I be stupid enough to do that?"

"I could scrub your back."

"Only if you let me wring your neck with silver first."

"I'll take that as a 'no'," he drawled, looking past her. "You prefer maenads in your home over vampires?"

"As far as I'm concerned, you're as bad as she was."

"Actually, I'm worse," he says matter-of-factly.

"I'm not surprised."

"But I could be convinced not to cut your heart out and eat it."

"No, you'll bleed me dry instead."

"You would find it pleasurable."

"I doubt that."

"You haven't enjoyed Bill feeding on you?"

"That's none of your business."

"He must not have been doing it right."

"You don't know anything about my relationship with Bill."

"Sounds like there isn't much to know."

Sookie resisted the urge to smack him across the face. "Tell me why you're here."

"Invite me in."

"No." She gave him a smug smile. "You can't bully yourself into my home, Eric."

A wicked smile curved across his face.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, he gripped her shoulders and pulled her towards him. One second she was standing inside; next she was on the porch, trapped between the wall and Eric. He had her arms in a tight hold over her head, his fingers wrapped around her wrists. She struggled but it was futile; he was stronger.

"You're right," he smirked. "I can't."

She glared at him. "I hate you!"

"I know."

"I wish you were dead!"

"I already am."

He released his grip on her arms, and leaned in even closer. Instinctively, her body reacted to every inch of him pressed against her. With his gaze following the movement of his hand, he traced his index finger along her left cheek, stroked the shape of her lips, caressed his way down her neck and chest until pausing just above her exposed cleavage.

Sookie didn't want to want him, but she was fighting a losing battle.

The sensation of his hand penetrated through her skin and right to her core, leaving her quivering and aching for more.

Eric was dead, a vampire; his body was a corpse and his skin, ice-cold... but it was heat and desire and longing that emanated from him. It was as if he wanted to consume her, possess her, and at this moment she would have let him.

His hand sneaked past her robe and before she could protest – she didn't even think she would - he cupped her left breast. Her heart jumped in her chest, her throat went dry and the nervous coil in the pit of her stomach unfolded and intensified into a mad rush of desire that surged through her veins and left her feeling completely out-of-control and breathless. Her knees were suddenly weak, and she found herself leaning towards him for support, her nails digging into the side of his arms as she held onto him. As his thumb expertly stroked her nipple, playing with her, teasing her, her head lolled back and a guttural moan escaped her lips.

She didn't know how long they stood there, or when he switched his attention from one breast to the other. She couldn't think, couldn't breathe; she only felt the tips of his fingers sweeping across her body, driving her mad with desire.

Sookie realized he was untying her robe when a balmy breeze brushed against her wet skin, cooling her down, something she desperately needed.

Sookie opened her eyes and glanced at him hesitantly. He was standing in front of her, a blank expression on his face. He hadn't disrobed her completely, merely separated the fabric, and now he was studying her, his gaze focused somewhere halfway down her body.

She waited for Eric to say something, ianything/i, but he didn't.

She'd never felt as self-conscious as she did at this very moment. Until he finally made eye contact with her, and then she just felt worse.

There was a cold, angry glint in his gaze, and she wondered if it was even disappointment she spotted. Almost as if she wasn't worth all the valuable time he'd wasted on her.

Humiliated, she pushed him away, and quickly tied her robe together. She didn't want to ilook/i at him, let alone be alone with him. "What the _fuck_ do you want from me?"

Eric leaned back against the porch railing, and hooked his fingers into his pockets. He gave her a calculated smile. "I'm here to remind you we have a deal."

The lump in her throat almost made it impossible for her to speak without breaking into tears but she refused to let him see her like that. Through absolute sheer force of will, she kept her emotions under control. "Only if you help me find Bill first."

"I have."

Her heart started beating erratically. "What?"

"Bill Compton will be returning to Bon Temps tomorrow night."

"Is he okay?"

Eric cocked his eyebrow. "No. He loathes being a vampire and detests his own kind," he said. "But you mistakenly find that quality noble."

"He's twice the man you'll ever be," she spit out.

"And yet you can't stop thinking about me," he sneered. "How do you think Bill feels about that?"

"Fuck you!"

"Soon," he replied cockily before standing up straight.

For a second she worried he was going to come closer again; instead, Eric turned his back on her and walked off the porch.

Relief washed over Sookie, but it dissolved as soon as he glanced back.

The malicious smile on his face made her blood run cold.

"I've fulfilled my part of the deal. And when the time is right, I intend to collect on what you owe me."

And with that, he was gone.

It took Sookie more than hour to calm herself down after Eric left. She kept picturing Bill's face, wondering if he was alright, if things would be the same between them after being apart for months. Images of Eric threatened to unnerve her but she willed herself not to think about him. She would cross that bridge when she came to it, but, for now, she would focus on Bill and that he was coming home to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Sookie shifted closer to the vampire sleeping beside her. He didn't breathe, didn't move. He was utterly still, a corpse.

Ever since he returned to Bon Temps three weeks ago, Bill was acting strangely and unusually distant. He refused to talk about what happened while he was gone and remained withdrawn even though they had spent every night together. Sookie knew Lorena was involved but every time she broached the subject, Bill would clam up and refuse to answer her questions.

The first night he came back, they had made love frantically. After, when they had lain next to each other, she had told him she wanted to be his wife. Bill had replied he was wrong to have pressured her the way he did and it was too soon for them to be wed. She tried to explain she loved him and didn't want to wait, but he didn't respond. He said nothing.

There was distance between them now that hadn't existed before. Despite all the chaos and turmoil throughout their short relationship, there were moments when they were genuinely happy. Sookie wanted to get those feelings back, and share that contentment with Bill again, but she didn't know how to fix things between them.

Guilt over refusing Bill's proposal and for not trying harder to find him was a burden she struggled with daily. Maybe if she had found him sooner, or done more, he wouldn't be a changed man now.

And then there was Eric.

Sookie didn't want to think about him or have anything to do with him and yet he was always on her mind. She hadn't seen him in weeks, not since the night before Bill returned, but the events of their last two encounters were etched in her brain. She tried desperately to forget how his mouth felt on hers, the sensation of his hands on her body... but it was impossible.

She constantly worried about when Eric was going to show up to collect on what she owed him, and how she would explain things to Bill. And what exactly Eric wanted from her. She refused to believe he just wanted to sleep with her. Not Eric. A thousand year old vampire did not have to negotiate deals to have sex with a human. If he wanted to get laid, there were plenty of women available - women who were a lot more experienced than Sookie. She was convinced he wanted something else from her, she just didn't know what.

Bill stirred next to Sookie, bringing her out of her reverie. A part of her hoped he wouldn't wake up and they could just lay there and pretend everything was the same again, but he opened his eyes and met her gaze.

"I must leave now," he said softly. "It will be dawn soon."

"I know."

He rose and moved away from the bed. She observed while he dressed himself quickly, his back turned to her.

They didn't speak, but the silence was deafening between them.

He walked to the door, but paused to look at her before leaving. "Have a good day, Sookie."

Always polite, that was Bill. At least that part of him hadn't changed.

"I'll see you later?" she asked hesitantly.

He nodded his head 'yes' and, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Sookie pulled the sheets up to her chin and closed her eyes. Tonight, he didn't even kiss her before leaving; she reassured herself it meant nothing.

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It was after midnight and she had just finished her shift at Merlotte's. However, Sookie wasn't going home. She took a turn off the main road, drove along the gravel path until the entrance sign for the cemetery came into view. Pulling into the lot, she parked the car. Short walk later, she found herself by Gran's grave and almost came to tears when she spotted the inscription on the headstone.

Today would have been Gran's 75th birthday.

Every year she and Jason urged Gran to go out for her birthday dinner but Gran insisted on staying in and making a fancy dinner for the three of them at home. Of course Sookie and Jason wouldn't let her anywhere near the kitchen. On Gran's birthday Sookie would start prepping early, Jason would come over, and they would start making one of Gran's favourite meals. Her brother would eventually get bored and end up lounging on the front lawn or watching TV, leaving all the cooking to Sookie. One thing about Jason though, he always did the cleaning up and the dishes all by himself after dinner– he never let Sookie or Gran help him.

Memories of past birthday celebrations flooded Sookie's mind and she sat down on the ground to regain control of herself. She missed Gran every single day but lately the hurt was even more potent. She could distract herself with work, friends, Bill, but that constant ache never really went away.

Even though she believed Gran was watching over Jason and her, it obviously wasn't the same. She missed talking to her grandmother, touching her, holding her, sharing conversations and laughter. Tears streaked down her face, Sookie swiped them away.

"You really do enjoy the company of the dead, don't you?"

Caught by surprise, she whirled her upper body around to see who it was.

Standing a few feet away, dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a leather jacket, was Eric. His hands were hooked into his pockets while his blue eyes regarded her with a cold expression.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

He cocked his eyebrow. "For your next outing, may I suggest Fangtasia? Just as many dead bodies, but the atmosphere is infinitely livelier."

"Go away." Sookie turned back around.

Raising her knees to her chin, she encircled her legs with her arms. Although she tried her best to ignore him, she was keenly aware of his eyes boring into her back.

"Do you have to be here?" she snapped at him shortly after.

"Actually I have matters to which I must attend, but I can't afford to be distracted with human emotions," he replied.

"Deal with it. That's what you get for tricking me into drinking your blood."

"Touché."

Sookie didn't tell Bill she was coming here tonight; she wanted to be alone, and Eric's intrusion almost felt like a sign of disrespect towards her grandmother. But she'd be damned if she let him knew how much he was bothering her. She hoped by refusing to acknowledge his presence any further, he would get bored and leave. She expected him to provoke her, taunt her into an argument, but Eric said nothing.

Silence ensued, and Sookie's mind drifted back to Adele again.

She was hesitant to admit this to others, mostly because people mistakenly inferred she was happy about her parent's early demise, but Sookie was eternally grateful for the parental role Gran played in their lives. Gran was sweet, smart, kind, and most importantly she never judged others; in a town like Bon Temps, that was a rarity. And as much as Sookie loved her own mother, she remembered all too well how her telepathic skills terrified her. Not so with Gran.

As it often happened these days, her thoughts eventually led back to the night she found Gran's body in the kitchen. Her grandmother, who had always been a figure of strength and love, had lain still on the floor, her body broken and lifeless. The blood. Sookie remembered the blood all too well. When she closed her eyes, she could picture it; she could even smell it. It was thick, unpleasant, heady when it filled her nostrils, and the image of her dead and bloody grandmother made her sick all over again. Sookie shuddered.

All of a sudden Eric appeared next to her.

She had forgotten he was there and watched hesitantly as he removed his jacket and wrapped it around her. He surprised her further when he sat down beside her on the ground.

This felt awkward, very awkward. The only time Eric seemed to have a heart was when it concerned Godric, but now here he was acting almost sympathetic towards her. She didn't know how to deal with this. "Why are you being nice?"

"I'm not sure."

She glanced at him, curious to see if he was being genuine, but found herself unable to turn away once their gazes locked. Suddenly he didn't seem as cold and hard as she always thought him to be, not when his eyes were piercing right into her soul. Intense wave of inexplicable emotions rushed through her, making her feel vulnerable and exposed.

As hard as she tried, she couldn't break his gaze.

He was the first one to look away; although relieved, she begrudgingly admitted it was also disappointment that surged through her.

"You feel responsible for her death," Eric said a short while later, his attention focused straight ahead.[

She didn't respond right away, contemplating his statement. "I am."

"You didn't kill her."

"No, but Réné came to the house looking for me. He wanted to hurt _me_, but he found Gran instead."

"And you think you're to blame for that?"

Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "Well, she's dead. I'm not."

"Brilliant observation."

"Shut up!"

"You can't change the past," he continued, unfazed by her outburst. "Sitting here feeling guilty over matters you had no control over isn't going to help you."

Not in the mood to argue with him, she didn't respond.

It was a long while before either of them spoke again. The silence was comfortable, something she didn't was possible with Eric next to her.

"You don't have to stay here with me."

"I'm not sure Bill would approve of me leaving you here by yourself."

She scoffed. "And since when do you care about Bill's approval?"

"When it benefits me."

"I think he would rather me be alone than with you."

"How very selfish of him."

She didn't rise to his taunt, rolling her eyes instead.

88888

Eric walked her to her car, silently creeping along the gravel path next to her. She opened up the car door as he patiently waited behind. "I'm not used to this from you," she said, turning around to face him once again.

There was a languid smile across his face. "I'm capable of being nice when the situation calls for it."

"Or when you want something."

He cocked his eyebrow. "You're right." Before she could even take her next breath, he moved swiftly towards her, his cold body pressed against hers as she struggled to overcome the sudden coil of anxiety in her stomach. He smiled down at her with a predatory glint in his eyes.

"We have a deal, Sookie. And it's time to pay up."

_Fuck_!


End file.
